Table of Contents
I’ve enjoyed a cold brew on five continents – and along way I’ve seen how every country does their beer a little bit differently.
In alphabetical order of countries where I’ve enjoyed a brew…
Austria: a whole lotta legacy – and variety
Vienna is a walkable, outdoor museum, with plenty of stuff to see from the awesome music museum or some of the Emperor’s former treasures. Like the museums and sights, the beer comes in all sorts of styles.
What to drink? Ottakringer or Stiegl, personally (the Hefeweizen / Weissbier > the lager).
Other notes? Check out the Old Vienna Brandy Museum (Alt-Wien Schnapsmuseum) while in Vienna, or head to the Stiegl brewery has a museum on the outskirts of Salzburg. Lest you think the town is just good for its composers…
Colombia: who said South America doesn’t drink?
Both Medellin and Bogota have a fair selection of domestic and imported offerings, and it doesn’t take too much looking to find them. I didn’t spend much time looking for the craft beers, though I’ve heard they’re around.
What to drink? Aguila and Pilsen are both fine, though both occasionally tasted a little watered-down to me. I wouldn’t bother with the blue-canned Aguila Lite.
Other notes? I don’t think I saw anyone drinking in public in the entire ~6 months we were there… Also, most stores won’t sell you any alcohol on Sundays. Restaurants are often able to, though you may need to order food as well.
Czechia / Czech Republic: heaven is a place on earth
Well, at least as the beer goes anyway. Home to the famous Pilsner Urquell (whose factory can be toured in Plzen), Czechs have a legacy of awesome beer. While I haven’t written about it (I know, I know), there’s a great museum in Prague related to beer where four locally brewed tastings are included. Heck, Prague is perhaps the only city I know of where you can bathe in beer at a beer spa.
What to drink? Budweiser – the original Budweiser that is. In all our time in the Czech Republic, I don’t recall having a bad beer. In other words, anything you grab from a grocery store or order off of a bar menu is likely to be good.
Other notes? The beer cellar at the beer museum is ample opportunity to converse with other beer lovers. There’s almost too many types of beer available in this country, and it’s all embarrassingly good.
Ecuador: nothing to get excited about
Yep, there’s beer in Ecuador. Mass-produced lagers, but had a hard time getting excited about. It’s sort of that middle ground that’s fine but not necessarily outstanding, worthy without being worthy of writing about. More craft breweries are forming in Quito, though the premiums can sometimes be eye-watering.
What to drink? I was personally a fan of the green-bottled Club, but between it and Pilsener, I’m not honestly sure I would be able to tell the two apart. If you can find it, the Roche Roja and other craft beers are worth trying.
Other notes? The larger beers charge a fairly small deposit for the bottles. You don’t need to take the bottles back to the same place, though most people seemed to as a courtesy.
France: let’s face it, you’re a rebel
Drinking beer in France kind of felt like I was fighting the power, or something. I had come across this story about France’s craft brewing scene, but as our trip didn’t take us into Paris, I wondered if any inroads were made elsewhere in the country.
What to drink? I failed to take any notes about what I tried while in France, so I can’t fairly make any recommendations here…
Germany: why did I leave?
Oh, Germany. I probably had a greater variety and amount of your beers while exploring your great country than anywhere save for Korea and Thailand (two countries I lived in for years). Most people know of Germany’s beer purity law, the Reinheitsgebot, though I didn’t know it dated back to 1516 until I looked it up.
Other notes? The cup deposit threw me at some bars / festivals. A 2-3 euro cup deposit isn’t too big a deal, though at first I didn’t see the signage for it. Thought I was being ripped off or something…
Laos: one brand to rule them all
BeerLao has had an unfair advantage for so long that it’s no surprise to find virtually anywhere in Vientiane or Luang Prabang. While you can find the lager in neighboring countries and elsewhere in the world, it’s only in Laos that you’ll find the bigger (630ml) bottles. Not sure if it’s because of export rules or something else, but there you go. I’ve spotted a few places offering ice as they do in Thailand, but not as many (it’s admittedly speculation, but I suspect fewer places have the equipment to make clean ice.)
What to drink? Beerlao. What’s the question? A few other brands are around if you can find them, but honestly, your biggest choice is going to be Beerlao light or dark, big or small.
Other notes? The Beerlao factory is a fairly short scooter or taxi ride from Vientiane and a fine half-day trip. Hour-long tours are available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1:30pm-4:30pm (Wednesday has an additional hour of tours available, from 9:30am-10:30am).
Peru: the country with an odd bottle deposit
Whether it’s a government regulation or just a desire by the bottlers to reuse the glass bottles as often as possible, there’s a 3 soles deposit(about $0.88 US) per bottle on the big bottles… and none on the cans or small bottles. It’s been that way in multiple cities, at different types of stores, and with multiple types of beers. Each place will hand-write out a little slip of paper indicating the deposit has been paid, and you’ll want to take the bottles back to that store with the slip when purchasing more (or just to get your deposit back).
What to drink? Cusqueña and Trujillo are two worthy contenders, though the last couple of Trujillo cans had an odd aftertaste.
Other notes? Like other parts of South America, quite a bit closes on Sundays. While not related to beer, a quick protip: Tottus and Metro Cencosud (two major department store chains) both accept US dollars or the local currency to pay for stuff at a surprisingly fair rate.
South Korea: a duopoly losing ground
When I left Korea in 2013 after living there for five years, the craft beer renaissance was in full effect. Occasional stories in local papers focused on the inroads they were making on the duopoly that sold the three most popular beers in the country. Their reputations are safe as I’ve not heard of many restaurants shaking off ‘Big Beer’ to embrace an alternative brew. Instead, newer and trendier restaurants are offering a wider variety of (mostly) bottled selections. They’re still pricey, no matter where you find them – expect to pay 2-3 times the price of the local stuff thanks to import taxes and shipping.
If you’re up for some of Korea’s other alcoholic beverages, I present to you some of Korea’s museums covering alcohol:
- Andong Soju Museum (Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do)
- Jeonju Traditional Wine Museum (Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do)
- Liquorium / Fermentation Science Museum (Chungju, Chungcheongbuk-do)
- Sansawon alcohol museum (Pocheon city, Gyeonggi-do)
What to drink? Ass, Shite, and BO (Cass, Hite, and OB, respectively) are the three behemoth brands, but these lagers are relatively easy to avoid. Craftworks has branched out from a single restaurant in central Seoul to offering their craft brews across the country, and I’d start with them. I’ve been told some of the convenience stores around the country are now selling some craft beers, so look for them as well.
Other notes? Beer is available almost any time of the day or night, and in 5 years I can’t think of a single time I was ever asked for ID. Drinking on the streets is fine, and done by locals and foreigners. Mix in a shot of soju (the cheap green-bottled firewater) and cheer gun-bae (goon-bay)!
Spain: still a wine country at heart
Spain was our first stop after weeks in Egypt and Tunisia, and I was ready to enjoy the local brews again. Although admittedly distracted by amazingly cheap local wines (local bottles at grocery stores start in the 2-3 euro range!), restaurants and pubs all have a decent variety.
What to drink? Estrella was my personal choice, but Alhambra was fine as well. Stop by the Fabrica Moritz in Barcelona if you can for some of the freshest options brewed in-house. Spain is home to some of the best unpretentious wines in the world, however, so allow yourself to explore a bit.
Other notes? Plenty of sizes here beyond a small or large. A caña, for example, is roughly 150ml, or half a can – virtually guaranteed to stay cold the whole time. Una copa is a larger size less exact, and may be worth asking about before ordering. Una jarra is often a pint-sized mug, but can also refer to a pitcher-sized offering).
Switzerland: expensive and mostly imported
Switzerland’s a very expensive country to most tourists (so save some money while you’re there), and as such I cut back quite a bit to keep the budget from groaning too much. My notes and memory aren’t as specific as I’d like them to be (lesson learned: take better notes!). I did have some great lagers while here, though again, no notes.
Other notes? I was a bit surprised to see the short hours of the grocery stores – and almost nothing was open on Sundays. Stock up or head to the train station for the best chances.
Thailand: ice cubes in the beer?
(A picture from the Buddhist temple made with a million beer bottles)
While not quite a universally done thing, sitting in Thailand’s often-sweltering heat means a beer goes warm far faster than elsewhere. Some bars will have hostesses that add the ice for you – if you prefer your beer ice-free (or would rather not pay for it) simply send the ice bucket back as soon as it arrives.
What to drink? Chang is often the default answer to most tourists, but there’s no reason to pay more for the Light or Export version. Some expats I met swore by Singha’s quality and consistency from one bottle to the next, and Leo is another drinkable mass-produced lager, but pass on Archa and Cheers.
Other notes? Beer is not officially available at retail shops after midnight – any chain convenience store or grocery store would be fined if their records showed them selling beer after hours. Most mom-and-pop shops and street vendors will be happy to sell you one after midnight, and bars are often open late. Also, selling alcohol is prohibited on several Buddhist holidays throughout the year – stock up in the days before. I never heard of anyone getting busted for drinking on the streets, but Thai cops aren’t always known for playing by the rules.
Tunisia: wait, they make beer there?
You wouldn’t normally associate predominantly Muslim countries with making alcohol at all… Since I hadn’t looked up the local restrictions or prices, I wrote off the chances of finding anything during our time in Tunisia.
And then our Couchsurfing host asked us if we wanted to try one.
I wish I had gotten a picture of the 250ml can or noted the name. Having looked at some local brands since then, I’m fairly confident it was a Celtia. While cold, the light lager had almost no flavor. I finished it out of politeness, declined a second, and didn’t bother making any attempts to find beer until we reached Europe.
Other notes? Beer of the non-alcoholic nature is fairly easy to find in supermarkets and grocery stores. I didn’t try any (what’s the point?), but the ‘0,0%’ is one of the largest typographical elements on the can.
Where have you enjoyed a brew? Any notes to share? Comments are open.
